December 26, 2007
By SUE RYAN
News staff writer

A sparkling glass-walled conference room provides the centerpiece for the interior of Mid-Columbia Council of Governments’ new office in Hood River.

The agency moved Dec. 19 into its new spaces at 205 Wasco Loop. The location is part of the Port of Hood River’s Wasco Business Building, which also houses Renaissance Learning.

Workforce Development Director Marty Miller explained the move helps consolidate MCCOG’s services but also offers a hub for other providers to utilize a guest office.

“We’ll have more of our partners in one spot,” he said.

MCCOG programs include Workforce Assistance, Integrated Family Services, the Area Agency on Aging and Six Rivers Community Mediation.

But it also has part-time services through a child care partnership, the Columbia Gorge Community College and the Employment Department.

The new space has room for several partners to share office space, besides the conference room and a computer room with six to eight stations.

Miller said while nothing is final, they have also been talking with representatives from the Housing and Urban Development program in the area.

Getting to the new location may also be helped in the long-term by plans for a bordering parcel: Columbia Area Transit (CAT) plans to build its new office across the street.

“When CAT finishes, then we’ll have a pretty good concentration of services here for transportation, housing and child care,” Miller said. “People who need our services won’t have to worry about transportation to get here.”

MCCOG was formed in 1979 to serve Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties. In 1992, Gilliam and Wheeler counties joined.

Its mission is to serve as a forum for intergovernmental cooperation and cost effectiveness by providing joint strategic planning for the provision of services.

One example of that collaborative effort is the Oregon Human Dependent Coalition, which coordinates child care services especially for migrant workers.

“It’s a good compliment for us by increasing our presence to the Hispanic population,” Miller said.

For the next week or so, services will be limited although the offices remain open. Miller and staff have plenty to do.

That includes intake specialist Sharon Saunders, who was working Wednesday on moving files back into cabinets amid a cluster of office chairs and desks. Construction workers are finishing up detail work and offices to be organized, including hanging pictures and an 8-foot electric blue fiberglass marlin.

Miller explained that after staff member Isabella Rodriguez had finished helping displaced workers from the Luhr-Jensen company, which used to manufacture fishing lures, they gave her the marlin as a thank-you.